Can closing apparatus



June 26, 195] A. H. HERMANN CAN CLOSING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1946 v INVENTOR R Hus us 70.; H HER/44M A TTOR/VEVS June 26, 1951 HERMANN 2,558,705

CAN CLOSING APPARATUS F i'led May 28, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 1mg. 3 42 Patented June 26, 1951 FFECE CAN CLOSING APPARATUS Augustus H. Hermann, Melrose, Mass., assignor to Samuel Cabot, Inc., Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 28, 1946, Serial No. 672,874

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to apparatus for use in crimpin the cover to a can to seal its mouth.

In filling containers, of which paint cans are a good example, the cans are most efiiciently handled by carrying them on a conveyor through the filling and sealing stations. .When large cans are being handled, the use of conventional portable cover crimping devices has been unsatisfactory. This is due to the fact that, because of the height of the conveyor and because of the size of the cans, it was necessary for the workman to climb a platform in order to be able to apply the can sealing device to the cover and to operate it. In addition, the devices themselves are heavy and require considerable effort to operate.

In accordance with my invention, I provide apparatus at the sealing station which consists of a standard having a vertically slidable support. A crimping device depends from the support over the; conveyor and it has operative and inoperative positions effected by the position of a slidable actuating member. The support also carries a power operated device of which a valve controlled pressure operated unit is a good example. such a device includes a piston which, in accordance with my invention, is so connected to the actuating member as to position the crimping device operatively when the power source is connected to the power operateddevice.

The support itself is yieldably connected to the standard so that normally the crimping device is maintained above a can on the conveyor. I provide operator controlled means in control of the support to permit the crimping device to be brought against the cover of the can to be sealed so that when the power operated device is brought into service, the mouth of the can is quickly and easily sealed.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown an illustrative embodiment of my invention from which itsnovel features and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of apparatus in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 shows the support, the crimping device, and the power operated device in front view.

Fig. 3 is a view along the lines 3.3 of Fig. and

Fig. 4 shows schematically an electric control for the pressure operated unit.

In Fig. 1, I have indicated at In the conveyor which carries the can II from the filling station.

2 At the sealing station, the cover I2 is crimped to the can ll to tightly seal its mouth. The can shown in the drawings is a conventional paint container of large size and has a marginal groove i3 into which the depending tabs I4 of the cover I2 are to be pressed to lock the cover l2 in place. Adjacent the conveyor ill, I provide a standard it having a slideway It formed to slidably receive and retain the slide ll of the support l8.

At 19, I have indicated generally a cover crimping device. While this may be of any desired type, I have shown it as consisting of the plate 29 having a hub 2| for the post 22 which is securely clamped to the support I8 as at 23 to depend therefrom over the conveyor ID. The periphery of the plate 20 has a plurality of lugs 24, each of which is straddled by the formed arms 25 of the crimping levers generally indicated at 26 and connected thereto by pivots 21. To the ends of the forked arms of each crimping lever 26 is secured an arcuate crimper 28.

Slidably supported on the post 22 is an actuating member 29 having a plurality of pairs of spaced ears 3!! to receive the ends of links 3| pivotally connected thereto as at 32. Each of the links 3| is pivotally connected at its other end to the forked end 33 of one of the crimping levers 26'. I also provide the slidable actuating member 29 with a diametrically opposed pair of ears 34.

On the upper surface of the support 18, I mount a power operated device generally indicated at 35. The device 35 may, conveniently be an air operated unit and as this may be of conventional construction I have indicated only the cylinder 36 mounted on a bracket 3! and having an air supply line 38 controlled by the valve 39 shown as manually operable in Figs. 1 and 2 and solenoid operated in Fig. 4. Within the cylinder 36 there is a piston, the upwardly disposable rod of which is indicated at 48.

On the upper end of the rod 40, I anchor a cross head 4! to the ends of which I attach a pair of connecting members 62. The cross head Al is of sufficient length so that the members 42 are spaced from the device 35 and from the support [8 and, at their lower ends, the members 42 are formed to extend inwardly so that each of them may enter between a pair of ears 34 to which it is connected by a pin 43.

Between the standard I5 and the outer end of the support [8, I attach a spring 44 having at its upper end a threaded member 45 extending freely through the bracket 68 on the standard I5. Nuts 4'! and 48 enable the tension of the spring 44 to be adjusted so that normally it yieldably 3 maintains the support 18 in a raised position in which the crimping device I9 is spaced a substantial distance above the can ll on the conveyor In.

I provide operator controlled means generally indicated at 29 to lower the support l8 against the influence of the spring 44 to seat the crimping device l9 against the cover l2. The operator controlled means 49 may conveniently comprise a treadle 50 located below the conveyor l and pivotally connected to the standard IS, a lever 51 pivotally connected to the standard l and the support 13, and a link 52 pivotally connected to the lever 5| and the treadle 5!].

In Fig. 4, I have indicated schematically means for automatically opening the valve 39 when the treadle 59 has been actuated to seat the crimping device [9 against the cover M of a can.

Such means may conveniently comprise a solenoid 53 in control of the valve 39, the circuit 54 to which includes a normally open switch 55 closed by the treadle 59 when sufliciently depressed to seat the device 59.

Apparatu in accordance with my invention enables the can sealing operation to be efiected easily and quickly. When a full can on the conveyor I9 reaches the sealing station, it is only necessary to the operator to depress the treadle 50 to bring the crimping device against the can cover l2 when the can is centered thereunder. For the operators convenience, in ensuring that the can is centered under the device 19, I have shown a bracket 56 hinged to the standard l5 so that it may be swung into its position shown in Fig. 1. When, by depression of the treadle 59, the crimping means l9 has been engaged with a can cover, the valve 39 first is actuated to cause the power unit 35 to close said crimpin means to crimp the cover on the can and then is actuated to open said crimping means to permit its removal from the cover. Thereupon the treadle 59 is released and the spring 44 raises the support l8 and the parts carried thereby to adapt the apparatus for operation upon the next cover to be crimped.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for use in crimping the flange of a cover to a can to seal the mouth thereof, said apparatus comprising a standard, a support slidably mounted on said standard, flange crimping means secured to said support in depending relation thereto, said crimping means having an operative and inoperative position and including a slidable actuating member, a valve controlled pressure operable unit carried by said support and including an upwardly disposed piston rod, a cross head secured to the end of said piston rod, and a pair of members, each of said members being connected to one end of said head and to said actuating member, said support having a normal position in which said crimping means is spaced from the can to be sealed, and operator controlled means in control of said support for bringing said crimping means into a can sealing position,

2. Apparatus to crimp the flange of a cover to a can to close the mouth of the can, said apparatus comprising a standard, a support mounted on said standard for vertical sliding movement relative thereto, cover flange crimping means mounted on said support for vertical movements therewith between upper and lower positions, said flange crimping means being movable between an open position and a closed flange crimping position, said flange crimping means including an element vertically slidable relative to said support and which by downward movement relative to said support is effective to close said flange crimpin means and by upward movement relative to said support is effective to open said flange crimping means, a cylinder and piston power unit carried by said support and including a piston rod connected to said element for moving the same vertically relative to said support to close and open said crimping means, resilient means tending constantly to elevate said support, manually operable means for moving said support downwardly to position said flange crimping means about the flange of a can cover, and valve means for controlling operation of said power unit.

3. Apparatus to crimp the flange of a cover to a can to close the mouth of the can, said apparatus comprising a standard, a support mounted on said standard for vertical sliding movement relative thereto, cover flange crimping means mounted on said support for vertical movements therewith between upper and lower positions, said flange crimping means being movable between an open position and a closed flange crimping position, a vertically disposed post carried by said support, said flange crimping means including an element mounted on said post for sliding movements therealong and which by downward movement relative to said post is efiective to close said flange crimping means and by upward movement relative to said post is eflective to open said flange crimping means, a cylinder and piston power unit carried by said support and including a piston rod connected to said element for moving the same along said post to close and open said flange crimping means, resilient means tending constantly to elevate said support, manually operable means for moving said support downwardly to position said flange crimping means about the flange of a can cover, and a valve for controlling operation of said power unit.

' AUGUSTUS H. HERMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of, this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Irven Jan. 31, 1939 

